This invention relates to streaming of data, and more generally to the distribution of rich media and data on-line and over any network, notably the Internet.
Streaming technology is a major growth area in the Internet field. It helps to satisfy public demand for large multimedia files by allowing parts of such a file to be displayed, played or otherwise accessed and used while other parts of the file are still downloading. In this way, streaming helps users whose terminals have insufficient access speed, memory and processing capabilities for them to be able to download complete multimedia files quickly enough to enjoy their use.
Examples of streaming formats are RealVideo and RealAudio developed by RealNetworks, Inc. (all trade marks acknowledged). With suitable plug-ins on their browser programs, users with even modestly-specified terminals and modems can enjoy streamed data such as a live audio/video feed from a concert.
Streaming relies upon the client terminal collecting data and sending that data as a steady stream to an application that processes the data, for example by converting that data to sound and/or pictures. Despite the use of a buffer to store an excess of incoming data and hence to insulate the application from interruptions in the incoming data stream, it often happens that the data does not arrive quickly enough to replenish the buffer. For example, network congestion can arise due to the essentially client/server architecture of the Internet. The result is a lack of smoothness in the data stream presented to the application and consequential loss in the quality of the user's experience, manifested by interruptions and other degradation.
Even if the data stream is smooth enough to allow continuity, the quality of the data, for example in terms of image resolution and image size, is often poor. Put simply, the quality of the data equates to the rate at which information is transmitted, in terms of the amount of data transmitted in a given time, and this rate is compromised in an effort to ease downloading, to make it easier to keep the buffer replenished, and to minimize interruptions in the data stream.
In today's predominantly client/server Internet architecture, high concurrency rates place bandwidth-intensive demands on servers dedicated to the streaming of continuous data. This drastically compromises the quality and reliability of the end-user's experience. It also results in high hardware overheads for streaming service providers, who need to maintain banks of specialized servers.